It can be done, and I'm sure you can find testimonials from people who have done it. I'd be willing to bet that most of the success stories involve people who had small business/entrepeneurial experience before attending online law school. In the end, my point is this: unless you have a very clear plan and understand the ramifications of attending an unaccredited school, you may not save that 40k after all. The decision is yours alone, and I might be totally wrong about everything I've said. These are just a few things that I want to consider if I were in your position.

For me, this is a pure curiosity. I attend an ABA school in the midwest. Right now, it's about 90% certain that I'm just going to return to school and finish my JD as a full-time student.

So, this is all purely hypothetical. Around here, pretty simple equation: want to be an attorney? go to an ABA school. all other paths are virtually impossible and at a minimum, risky and impractical.

It is just interesting to think of the options available to california residents. I actually attended community college in CA when I was 17. I could have had an associate's degree before my 19th birthday. From what I can gather, you can attend some of the calbar schools with only an associate's degree. So, I literally could have been a full-blown attorney at age 21.

Not that I wish I had done it, have regrets, or am interested in doing it now. It's just an interesting hypothetical discussion for me.

It can be done, and I'm sure you can find testimonials from people who have done it. I'd be willing to bet that most of the success stories involve people who had small business/entrepeneurial experience before attending online law school. In the end, my point is this: unless you have a very clear plan and understand the ramifications of attending an unaccredited school, you may not save that 40k after all. The decision is yours alone, and I might be totally wrong about everything I've said. These are just a few things that I want to consider if I were in your position.

...From what I can gather, you can attend some of the calbar schools with only an associate's degree.

You don't need an associated degree. You only need 60 college credits.

Ever attended a California Community College? Trust me, it is not Harvard and the grads are not going to be successful in law school, online or otherwise. Someone who can't complete a BA is not going to usually have the self discipline to complete a 4 year distance learning program. Although I've met a few prison inmates who could do it but for the moral requirements.

You don't necessarily need a B.A. to attend an ABA law school, either. The ABA does not require a college degree for admissions, only (I believe) 90 units of college work. Most law schools go above that minimal requirement and require a bachelor's degree. Some don't, however. Tulane clearly advertises on their website that they'll consider applicants without a bachelor's, and Whittier used to as well. I believe several other schools do, too. I think these programs are usually reserved for non-traditional students. I don't think they'd take a 21 year old who simply didn't feel like finishing his degree.

I have heard of people being getting accepted to ABA schools other than those mentioned, I just can't remember which ones.

Like I stated before, I'm coming out of law enforcement so if I was to practice law, I would prefer to work for the District Attorney's Office. After all, I would rather contribute by keeping criminals in jail rather than trying to keep those individuals out. The Cal-Bar school near my house is not correspondence, and a large number of their graduates are hired by the D.A.'s office. They also have a courthouse on site that is run by the Superior Court of California, so there is a lot of networking between the students of this school and the D.A.'s Office. If I couldn't get a position with the D.A.'s Office, I would open my own practice as I would not like to work for a law firm. Hence my situation, and the reason why I treading lightly and trying to weigh my opinions . . .

Like I stated before, I'm coming out of law enforcement so if I was to practice law, I would prefer to work for the District Attorney's Office. After all, I would rather contribute by keeping criminals in jail rather than trying to keep those individuals out. The Cal-Bar school near my house is not correspondence, and a large number of their graduates are hired by the D.A.'s office. They also have a courthouse on site that is run by the Superior Court of California, so there is a lot of networking between the students of this school and the D.A.'s Office. If I couldn't get a position with the D.A.'s Office, I would open my own practice as I would not like to work for a law firm. Hence my situation, and the reason why I treading lightly and trying to weigh my opinions . . .

If you want to work for a DAs office in California, I strongly urge you to go to the best possible school you can get into. They will not hire an online grad unless you had many years of experience in criminal law as an attorney. Those are considered good jobs with full county benefits and a CALPERS pension.

Like I stated before, I'm coming out of law enforcement so if I was to practice law, I would prefer to work for the District Attorney's Office. After all, I would rather contribute by keeping criminals in jail rather than trying to keep those individuals out. The Cal-Bar school near my house is not correspondence, and a large number of their graduates are hired by the D.A.'s office. They also have a courthouse on site that is run by the Superior Court of California, so there is a lot of networking between the students of this school and the D.A.'s Office. If I couldn't get a position with the D.A.'s Office, I would open my own practice as I would not like to work for a law firm. Hence my situation, and the reason why I treading lightly and trying to weigh my opinions . . .

If your goal is the DA's office, the local CBE school is a much better bet than online. Ask your local DA if they've ever hired an online grad, and I promise you the answer is "no". A couple of decades ago jobs like the DA and (especially) Public Defender were considered relatively easy to get. The pay was low, the turnover was high, and most new hires came from small ABA schools or CBE schools. That's not the case anymore. The pay is decent, turn over is practically zero, and most offices are on a hiring freeze. When jobs do open, they are flooded with applicants and can be very picky about who they hire. It's not at all uncommon now to see Public Defenders from UCLA, Davis, etc.

At some DA/PD offices you can still get hired as a CBE grad because the local CBE school is the only game in town. However, even at those offices you will be competing with both ABA and CBE grads who have several years of experience under their belts. If you decide to go to the CBE school, do everything you can to score an internship at the DA, and do a great job. Personal connections matter, and it will help immensely when a job opens up.

Like I stated before, I'm coming out of law enforcement so if I was to practice law, I would prefer to work for the District Attorney's Office. After all, I would rather contribute by keeping criminals in jail rather than trying to keep those individuals out. The Cal-Bar school near my house is not correspondence, and a large number of their graduates are hired by the D.A.'s office. They also have a courthouse on site that is run by the Superior Court of California, so there is a lot of networking between the students of this school and the D.A.'s Office. If I couldn't get a position with the D.A.'s Office, I would open my own practice as I would not like to work for a law firm. Hence my situation, and the reason why I treading lightly and trying to weigh my opinions . . .

Although I've just finished 1L at an ABA, it used to be a CBE until 2008. Living in Los Angeles and talking to the judges and lawyers I've met, you are much better off going to a CBE than online. One judge I spoke to who found I was going to law school asked me if the school was at least "state accredited." I told her it was ABA, and have been asked the same question by other attorneys. Ironically, one lawyer advised his son to do CBE instead of ABA probably because it's cheaper and he can just work for his dad when he is finished. But even he said he didn't want his son to do an online school. My point is even attorneys and judges in Cali are asking if my school is at least state accredited. Granted I've only spoken to a handful of these people, but CBE or ABA will be hired over you if you do online. Roald is correct about the DA's office and PD's office. There are more grads from Loyola and Pepperdine taking those jobs than even tier 4 schools and they were on a hiring freeze for a couple of years. (not sure if they still are)

Although it will cost a bit more than online, you won't have to take the FYLSE, you don't have get a really high LSAT score, and your chances of passing the bar are a bit higher with better job prospects. Just my two cents as someone who has been asking around a bit.